Scientific knowledge development

Science is at the heart of the fight against climate change. Thanks to the ongoing evolution of research as well as the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge, our insight into reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and coping with the impacts of climate change is constantly increasing.

Québec can rely on a solid scientific knowledge base to meet the challenges posed by climate change, thanks in particular to the work of its research chairs and those of Ouranos .

Moreover, the complexity of the issues arising from climate change requires multidisciplinary collaboration. Beyond climate studies and the natural sciences, knowledge stemming from the social and behavioural sciences is essential. All this knowledge helps guide Québec’s transition to a society that is more resilient to the impacts of climate change and lower in carbon.

Several government-funded research, development and knowledge dissemination projects to fight climate change have been completed or are underway in Québec. Here are some of them:

Research on the economic impacts of climate change

The scientific community was invited to submit proposals under the Programme de recherche sur les impacts économiques des changements climatiques . The selected projects will improve our understanding of the costs and eventual benefits associated with climate change on vulnerable sectors of activity and their infrastructure.

Québec’s GHG emission reduction trajectories–2030 and 2050 horizons

This report outlines the changes required to achieve Québec’s targets and objectives. It also addresses the resulting costs and benefits for Québec society. The report focuses on four areas to describe the economic and regulatory measures that would be needed for these changes to take place:

• Energy management;
• The electrification of numerous energy uses;
• Increased electricity and bioenergy production;
• Measures relating to agriculture, waste and industry.

Réussir la décarbonisation du Québec  (achieving the decarbonization of Québec) summarizes the highlights of the report.

Overview of the value and distribution of land-based carbon stocks in Québec 

This report  quantifies the carbon stocks contained in the land-based ecosystems of Québec’s boreal biome. The objective was to assess the natural capacity of ecosystems to mitigate carbon air emissions. It also aims to estimate the increase in their vulnerability in the context of both recent climate change and changes to land use.

Climate profiles and the Hydroclimatic Atlas

The Ouranos  climate profiles guide the decisions of climate actors throughout Québec in addressing imminent climate change.
The Hydroclimatic Atlas  describes the current and future water regime in southern Québec with the intention of supporting land, infrastructure and water management practices that are resilient to climate change.